Finance Officer (Contracts), P-2, Central Services Centre (CSC), DFAM, NYHQ

Contract

This is a P-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 108,633 USD and 147,551 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Action

The ability of the Finance and Contracts Officer is to successfully plan, manage and oversee the effective and efficient transactions processing which directly impact programme goals and results for children. This in turn contributes to maintaining/enhancing the credibility of UNICEF as an effective and responsible manager of funds entrusted to the organization and to furthering UNICEF image as a competent organization for delivering cost effective and sustainable program results for children.

How can you make a difference?

The Finance and Contracts Officer reports to the Operations Manager for supervision and guidance. S/he will provide technical and operational support and advice and will also be responsible for supervising the finance and contracting streams processors. The incumbent will also manage the individual consultancy contracting, institutional pre-contracting, low-value transactional portfolio, including low-value individual consultancy contracts, low value procurement (including through P-cards, credit card), intern payments, UN payments (UN to UN interagency fund transfer and UNVs), prepayment Purchase Orders. The incumbent will support the Operations Manager in financial transactions management including payroll, HACT transactions, budget transfers).

1**. Individual consultancy contracting transactions oversight**

• In consultation with supervisor, support consultancy contracting portfolio management ensuring accurate and timely services delivery in compliance with UNICEF HR rules and regulations.

• Provide technical support on application, interpretation and implementation of DHR policy on individual consultants ensuring the highest level of client-orientation. Ensure quality of transactions in line with the established CSC catalogue of services, SOPs and SLAs.

• Through application of policies and analysis of data, advise clients on the resolution of complex issues related to individual consultancy contracting ensuring equitable and transparent solutions in accordance with UNICEF policies, regulations and procedures.

• Provide advice and support at various steps of the process, coach processors in implementing efficient client services and collaboration with the NY HQ Divisions.

• Analyze dashboards, implementation rates of key performance indicators and information/data from various systems and conduct root cause analysis of bottlenecks and challenges, with a view to drive improvements and ensure efficient and effective operational processes and workflows for efficient consultancy contracting transactions processing.

2. Institutional pre-contracting transactions oversight

• Liaise with Supply Division as well as client Divisions and using supply dashboards to ensure efficient pre-contracting transactions processing. Monitor progress of procurement requests and take action to ensure timely completion of incoming requests and queries in line with the established SOPs and SLAs. Perform research, collect data and conduct analysis, produce reports and ensure information accuracy in corporate systems to enable informed decision-making.
• Liaise with clients and advise on resolution of issues related to planning procurement and contracting initiatives, development of appropriate specifications, terms of reference and timelines ensuring equitable and transparent solutions in accordance with UNICEF policies, regulations and procedures.
• Provide technical and operational advice on application, interpretation and implementation of UNICEF supply policies, procedures and guidelines ensuring equitable and transparent solutions at various steps of the process. To provide training sessions to processors to improve the efficiencies and enhance performance in pre-contracting transactions.

3. Low-value procurement transactions oversight

• Monitor and review low-value transactions related to low-value individual consultancy contracts, low value procurement (including through P-cards, credit card), intern payments, UN payments (UN to UN interagency fund transfer and UNVs), prepayment POs.
• Provide expert advice to facilitate resolution of low-value procurement issues ensuring fair and transparent solutions aligned with UNICEF supply and financial policies, regulations and procedures.
• Advise at various steps of low-value transactions processing through individual/team training sessions in executing streamlined client services efficiently, ensuring meeting SLA benchmarks and providing an early warning if demand starts to exceed resources or performance starts to slip.
• Conduct capacity development initiatives in the area of low-value transactions processing to build knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the centralized work.

4. Financial transactions oversight

• Examine DCT transactions (transfer, adjustments, reprogramming and liquidation) supporting documents to ensure FACE form has been properly entered into the system and the expenditure is broadly reasonable and in accordance with policy.
• Review the accurate and timely processing incoming cases within the CSC scope ensuring compliance with budgetary limits, IPSAS and UNICEF financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures, standards of accountability, and ethics. Ensure timely actions on outstanding cases to resolve pending issues in line with the established CSC catalogue of services, SOPs and SLAs. This includes dialogue and follow up with the GSSC to facilitate timely processing of financial transactions submitted to the CSC.
• Provide technical and operational advice on application, interpretation and implementation of financial and operational policies, procedures and guidelines to the CSC team and stakeholders.

5. Supervision of the Finance/Contracting stream teams

• Preparation of the annual work plan for the team; assist in determining priorities/targets and performance measurements and monitoring work progress to ensure that results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards.
• In consultation with supervisor, ensure establishment and maintenance of operational capacity to handle CSC contracting stream transactional portfolio, including staffing (appropriate staffing structure, timely recruitment, clarity of roles and responsibilities), SOPs and SLAs development, facilitating upgrade OASIS tool, establishment of a proper system and mechanisms of internal controls in the CSC structure to govern the creation and management of roles and address the responsibilities behind key control points to minimize the risk of and promptly detect errors and fraud.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A university degree (Bachelor’s) is required in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Procurement, Contract/Commercial Law, International Development, Health or related social science field.
• A minimum of two (2) years of relevant experience, at the national and international levels, in contracting, finance, operations and/or other directly related technical fields is required. Previous supervisory role is an asset.
• Experience in a UN system agency, large private or public company, or experience working in a developing country and/or humanitarian/ emergency context is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are as follows:

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.